Appearance
The Bodhisattva Vow: A Practical Guide to Helping Others
This is a useful book, about the practice of the 35 Confession Buddhas (a karmic purification practice) and the Bodhisattva's root and secondary vows (or 'training pledges'), associated with the Mahayana vehicle.However, Kelsang Gyatso*, the author of this text, made a remarkable mistake, I wish to point out in this review, because it has to be seen in the context of the author's organisation, the New Kadampa Tradition - IKBU (aka as "Kadampa Buddhism"), in which he encourages and emphasizes the totally reliance on himself as the sole authentic (contemporary) Buddhist authority and actively discourages his followers to read other books, because this would 'confuse' them.Kelsang Gyatso claims on page 23 the 34th Bodhisattva vow would be:"34 'Preferring to rely upon books rather than our Spiritual Guide'The root of Dharma realizations is sincere reliance upon our Spiritual Guide. If we neglect this practice and prefer to acquire our understanding from books, we incur a secondary downfall."This is incorrect and misleading.The vow is: "Deprecating him and referring to the letter". This has two meanings: not to be disrespectful to the teacher, and secondly: not to rely on his words literally; one has to look for the meaning of the teachers' words.Je Tsongkhapa, based on Asanga's Commentary, explains the 34th Bodhisattva training pledge as follows:>>"Deprecating him and referring to the letter."<<"To deliberately discount the person speaking doctrine - not sincerely conceiving of him as a spiritual adviser and a teacher - and to fail to pay respect to him with one's body, while ridiculing him with humiliating [questions] and making sarcastic remarks with harsh words, and referring to the literary expression in the sense of making much of it, is a defiled fault.Briefly, if the words are not good but the meaning is good he fails to rely upon the meaning, whereas if the words are good but the meaning is not he does rely upon it. Some would have it that the deprecation amounts to saying to the preacher that his teaching is only literary expression, without meaning, or that the meaning is incomprehensible--in other words, failing to enter into the spirit of the letter. This should be taken as explained earlier in the Bodhisattva Bhumi in context of the four points of reference.Jinaputra and Samudra further gloss this as a misdeed of 'disrespect for the doctrine'.These three misdeeds are explained by the new commentary as failing, respectively, in eliminating bad view, in application to study, and in service to the lama, [all] as part of collecting wholesomeness. 'Makes his reference the letter' is explained as relying upon the literary expression in the sense of discounting the person who is speaking doctrine."(quoted fromAsanga's Chapter on Ethics With the Commentary of Tsong-Kha-Pa: The Basic Path to Awakening, the Complete Bodhisattva, page 232)As I said above this book of Kelsang Gyatso claims instead that it would be a fault in the Bodhisattva Ethic: "Preferring to rely on books, rather than to rely on our spiritual guide".I don't know if Kelsang Gyatso invented this vow or not but this claim is defacto not correct when compared with the origin Indian or Gelug authoritative scriptures or even temporary commentaries-ecxept the LTWA edition which seem to have copy and pasted from Kelsang Gyatso's list of the vows...It was Je Tsongkhapa himself who distrusted Tibetan authors much and was very keen to check if what had been said about Buddha's teachings is in accordance with Indian (Sanskrit) scriptures. Je Tsongkhapa remarked if something is in contraction to the origin Indian sources it should not be accepted.The spin of this vow it would be a secondary downfall to 'Prefer to rely upon books rather than our Spiritual Guide' is the complete opposite of Je Tsongkhapa's own approach and invites to follow blind devotion.Explanation of the Buddhist practices explained in the book without such errors can be found in:-Confession of Downfalls, published by LTWA, and in-The Bodhisattva Vowby Geshe Sonam Rinchen.The most genuine and precise commentary on the Bodhisattva vows in the context of the Gelug school is the quoted text by Asanga and Je Tsongkhapa:-Asanga's Chapter on Ethics With the Commentary of Tsong-Kha-Pa: The Basic Path to Awakening, the Complete Bodhisattva* Usually the author is known to hold a Geshe degree, however different sources (e.g. his monastery Sera Je Dratsang, Newsweek or the Tibetan Government in Exile) dispute this claim.
Blessings: Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life
I love this book. It is very uplifting and gives me hope. Julia Cameron has such a way of putting words together. She paints pictures with words. Beautiful.The picture on the cover is awsome. Someday I would like to see the painting. It is himmel and erde (heaven and earth).
Blessings: Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life
I truly consider myself blessed . . . so when I saw a friend had a book called BLESSINGS: PRAYERS AND DECLARATIONS FOR AHEARTFUL LIFE (see also Section 11) by Julia Cameron, I aturallyasked to borrow it . . . and I'm glad that I did.This is a short book of prayers and declarations that can be read in one sitting or spread over time . . . it reminded me of how good it is to be alive and, also, made me more fully appreciate the beauty that surrounds me.Each blessing is preceded by an introductory quote . . . twothat I particularly liked:It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it isbecause we do not dare that they are difficult.--SenecaIn the middle of difficulty lies opportunity--Albert EinsteinVirtually every blessing touched me . . . however, to give youa feel for the material, here's one I thought you might enjoy reading:I love others for their true selfI bless and salute the divine goodness available for all human beings and in all human beings. I allow people to be uniquely themselves, bringing their true natures and true gifts to our relationships. I do not demand that those who love me change their essential nature for my comfort. I express them my nature. I tell them my truth. I do not hide or pretend I am different form what I am. I trust that each of us is a perfect part of the divine whole. I trust that each of us is as lovable as we are. I allow originality, inventiveness, and variability in my loving relationships. I invite the unique souls in my life to love me astheir true selves allow.
Blessings: Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life
The book is relevent to anyone's life. You can find an entry that speaks the words that your heart is saying at this time or needs to say in the future.It was also useful for me in a conversation I had before I was even out of the store and had paid for it. I look forward to reading it again and using it with my college students in my job as Campus Minister.
Blessings: Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life
I love this little book. On the outside, it's well made, sturdy, extended flaps on either side to use as bookmarkers....but that must be because they knew it would get a lot of use!Inside each page is devoted to a specific blessing, at the top of the page there is a quote relevant to the topic, the blessing and then a brief essay/prayer. Each one is lovely.Here are some examples of the topics: "The Seasons of my Heart have Purpose and Meaning", "This Earth is Radiant with Grace", "My Strength is a Fortress". But the words that follow are the real gems. Ms. Cameron writes with sensitivity and grace, in a way that seems to speak to the heart, no matter what your religous belief. I've found this book very valuable in my morning devotions.
Blessings: Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life
I don't know what the author's religion is, but I suspect she is not Jewish. Nonetheless, this book was given to me by a Rabbi because the sentiments are universal. I have been through a couple of very emotional experiences recently and through these experiences, I have sought to become closer to God. The journey is often difficult and the relections and experiences of others make this journey a little less uncharted. I find the sentiments in this book to be moving and I recommend that you seek out those reflections which are most meaningful to you and to spend time truly concentrating on them.